I CAN'T ski. And apart from one ill-fated dalliance on the dry slope at Bellahouston where I made the bottom of the hill before the planks that were supposed to be attached to my feet came tumbling after, I’ve rarely had an interest in it either.

But when an email dropped into my inbox asking for someone to visit a brand new chalet in Morzine, in the Haute-Savoie region of France, I couldn’t resist putting my name forward.

Not because of the fact that Chalet 46? is situated slap-bang in the centre of the famous Portes du Soleil ski-sports region, or that there is access to the Pleney slopes just 30 metres from the back gate. Those things are true, and for keen skiers are no doubt major attractions.

But it was the "après-ski" possibilities that interested my wife and me, who initially misunderstood what going to the French Alps to go "on piste" meant.

Undeterred, we set off on the short flight from Edinburgh to Geneva, where we were greeted by the rather jarring sight of our driver wearing a sombrero. After a Macauley Culkin in Home Alone 2-style double-take, it turned out the firm charged with the transfer over the border into Morzine was the rather delightfully-named Skiidy Gonzales, and we were in the right place after all.

The drive of just over an hour from Switzerland through to France was unremarkable to begin with, but motorways soon gave way to meandering mountain roads and stunning views of picture-postcard Alpine towns, of which Morzine was the jewel in the crown.

And a little over three hours after taking off from the smirry rain of the Scottish winter, we were breathing in the cold, crisp mountain air. A major selling point of this region is that you can set off from the UK in the morning and be on the slopes before lunchtime, but there was just one problem. Or at least, it would have been a problem, had our hearts been set on whizzing down the side of a mountain. It wasn’t snowing.

Given the time of year we visited though, right at the start of the season and with November barely out, that was always a possibility. Visit any time in winter after we did, basically, and you are virtually guaranteed to be surrounded by the white stuff.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we were all for giving skiing a go, but I don’t think we were fooling anyone too much as our hangdog expressions made way to wide-eyed wonder as we took in the splendour of our base for the next two days.

Hunter Chalets is owned and operated by Scottish couple Finlay and Wendy Hunter, who now live in Morzine all year round after a career in hospitality that has taken them to locations as diverse as Tanzania, Rwanda and Canada. That background has evidently served them well, with the standard of the service from the minute you arrive second-to-none. They offer the warmest of Scottish welcomes in the heart of the French Alps.

They run and maintain three properties in the town, the newly-built Copper Lodge which sleeps 10 and is situated close to the centre of Morzine, Apartment 6? which is a self-catered flat that sleeps six built below the flagship Chalet 46?, where we were to be spending our break.

Chalet 46? has been meticulously converted from a traditional French farmhouse into a stunning, luxurious modern chalet, and it certainly has the wow factor. It was also fresh out the wrapper, given that my wife and I and the other journalists and their partners here for the press trip were the first ones to stay in it.

The authentic feel to the property is aided by the fact that many of the original features of the farmhouse have been maintained, with sleek glass fixtures and high-end amenities added to create a contemporary alpine chalet that lends itself perfectly to entertaining and relaxing.

There are three levels to the chalet, with the top level incorporating the kitchen area with an integrated beer tap that was given quite the workout over the two-night stay, as well as the main dining area where private chef Graeme, a Fifer who has worked at some of Scotland’s top hotels, worked his magic.

If cooking on holiday isn’t your thing, or even if it is, I would recommend using his services. Dinner was incredible, with ceviche trout served with beetroot foam, red mullet on a bed of vegetables and the painstakingly-prepared shin of beef among the best dishes I have tasted. Period.

After dinner, you can stroll over to the seating area with wood-burning stove to relax with a barista-prepared coffee and soak in the uninterrupted views of the Pointe de Nyon and the Pleney slopes.

The star of the show for me though was the garden area leading out from the middle floor, with the deck area really separating Chalet 46? from the other chalets available in the town.

Whether during the day or at night, you can soak in the jaw-dropping views with a drink in hand from the hot tub.

Believe it or not, during the day the area is quite the sun trap, but even if it is a little bit fresh outside, the fire pit helps not only to keep the chill away, but to set the atmosphere for a truly unforgettable lunch served from the outdoor pizza oven, as we experienced, or from the barbecue.

Inside there are five en-suite bedrooms, all modern, spacious and kitted out with the finest in luxury fittings, from the luxurious mattresses to the Egyptian cotton linen that no doubt work wonders for aching limbs after a day spent on the slopes.

The attention to detail is also impressive, with toiletries from The White Company as well as professional standard hairdryers and hair straighteners all being provided. Not that I had much use for them with my rapidly receding hairline, but it was a touch that my wife really appreciated, and would be particularly helpful if coming here to ski in order to keep your baggage allowance in check.

The bottom level also has a cinema room, where my wife and I caught up with MacAuley’s adventures in New York with a homemade hot chocolate, as well as a sauna room. On the final morning of our stay, just when it felt as if I had no more creases or knots in my body to unravel, our genial host Fin informed us that a massage had been arranged in the treatment room, which guests can ask staff to arrange during their stay along with manicures, pedicures or hair and beauty treatments.

For skiers, the entrance level also has safe storage for your skis and snowboard equipment in the boot room adjacent to the front door, which features heated boot and glove racks to make sure your gear is toasty warm and dry for the next day.

As for us, we set off home relaxed and refreshed from the frozen Alps with the warm glow of a wonderful stay among fine company in our hearts. Maybe next time, I’ll even ski.